Nano

NaNoWriMo is currently fast approaching and with it only being my second year I'm both excited to write another novel (still working on the first so this should be... interesting) and scared.

This year I'm working full time, doing 2 modules for Uni in my 'spare' time and trying to work on my first novel all whilst trying to maintain a relationship and friendships... and now I'm going to throw in working on a new novel (which I've not even begun to think about/ plan) just to make things interesting. I hope I don't buckle under the pressure. I like being busy; hate having nothing to do. This should work out, right?

Have you ever written a novel, or ever thought about something you'd like to write but never have? My mum always harps on about a book she came up with when she was 16, she had a title and everything, but she never wrote it (My mum is full of random pointless stories like that, she also will tell you how old anyone who died would be now... as though it's something people care to know...mothers!). I have always wanted to write books but was scared I'd fail, or I wouldn't be able to think of anything to write about. Fast forward to my late twenties and I'm finishing up my first, about to start on a second and have a LOT of ideas for more... Yeah, I'm not published yet, and it may take me a while, but I'm determined to succeed, it's my dream job, and if other people can do it, why can't I?

Just rub my tummy like a genie's lamp

Yes. This blog title seems somewhat rude... I don't know how but it seems rather suggestive. It's not supposed to be, I swear!

As I mentioned in a previous blog, my poorly tummy has been giving me a hard time as of late. The best day was probably last Friday when I didn't get to sleep until... wait for it... 7 in the morning. I then woke up again at 12 and then had to sleep the majority of the day (the only sunny day in the past 10 or so, no less) just to recoup my hours. Not good. It's starting to really irk me. I don't like to be irked. I also don't like having something wrong with me.

I'm one of those people who prides themselves on not ever having been to hospital. I've never broken anything, I've never even had a filling at the dentist. Probably because I don't go enough to be told I need them. Same with the hospital actually... I probably should have gone to hospital many a time in my life; when blood is pouring out of some horror-movie-worthy wound you normally do go to hospital. But not me. I just bandage it up and carry on as normal! So on Friday night I was actually considering going to hospital. That is how bad the pain is.

Not to worry though gentle viewers, I do have a doctors appointment on Thursday, but I'm kind of scared of going. Not because I'm scared of doctors. But... well... I've already been dismissed once about this problem and I'm kind of hesitant about going because I don't want to get dismissed again. I want to explain the symptoms and be told exactly what it is and how to treat it. But I know I'll be trying to explain the pain and I won't be doing a good job, so here is the pickle. Do I dramatise it? When it happens it is the most gut wrenching, life hating pain I've ever experienced (you know life hating pain. When you hurt so bad you hate life and just want to not be a person any more), but it's hard to really tell someone that without sounding dramatic. But I should just be dramatic... shouldn't I? I know I'll get in there and I'll downplay it. I must force myself not to.

Hmmm. If I get told I just need to eat handfuls of Rennie's again I'll scream. I promise I will!

So, I'll keep you posted on my well being and I'll also try to come up with actual topics for these blogs. I'm losing my touch, I know I am! Apologies!

Sam

ps. I feel I should always add a writing update to my blogs because it at least forces me to keep it out in the open and not bottle it away. Chapter one is basically done re-write wise. I'm currently re-working chapter 3... 2 is 'done' but I'm sure I'll be tweaking...

Ahead of schedule

Yes! I've finally finished re-writes on The Novel. Not the final redrafting or anything, but possibly the middle stage. Thank the Heavens! I didn't think I was going to make it before the end of the month!

Well, that's all for now because I now have a million and one things to do before I go to bed now! Always busy!

Sam

Ways to be grown up

Well, I'm not really going to tell you ways to be grown up. There aren't any, are there? But I do feel grown up, having just got home from work, make a loaf of bread from scratch and soup from scratch to boot.

I like trying to be domestic (cooking, I don't clean!) and it makes me feel like I have accomplished something when I manage to not entirely fail at my aims. Cooking is like that for me. Writing will be like that for me if I ever actually manage to sort myself out.

I don't often like blogging on here about writing, feeling it should be put somewhere else, but hey! This is my blog and I think I should talk about it anywhere I so choose :P

I have been implementing re-writes to my manuscript and plan on getting them done by the end of the month... up to chapter 3 so far and only 15 or so more chapters to work through... but I will do it. I like setting myself deadlines because then I actually do stuff, but gosh it's hard to actually fit it all in!

How do you plan things and fit everything in? Suggestions would be appreciated!

Sam
x

Announcements and what not!

Well, not announcements per say, but kind of... I'm tired so I don't really know what words are spilling from my fingertips right now.

Oh yeah, that was it... sorry, just got really distracted by how much the veins in my hands/fingers are sticking out. They don't usually, so I'm taking it as a sign of needing to sleep :P

I passed my 2nd year of uni! Woohoo! actually passed my exam - got about 61% I think, which for me is a freaking miracle because I just don't do well in exams. So I'll take it! In my final creative writing thing I got a 69, which sucks being 1 point off a 70, but oh well. I'll take what I can get at this point.

Feeling quite proud of myself really so thought I'd share. I've not been up to THAT much recently and blogging hasn't seemed nessesary. Which isn't the point of a blog, I know, but sometimes I feel like if I have nothing to report it's pointless and no one will want to read it! I have redecorated my room and it's finally ALL done, apart from my needing to now clean it all up and actually put things away rather than live with boxes of stuff all around me. Which I don't mind, but apparently it's driving other people crazy. Bah. So I'll tidy up soon and post pictures. I'm quite proud, as I did about 90% of the work myself; wallpapering and putting furniture together. I find it quite enjoyable so it's nice.

In other unrelated news I have had a move around at work and I'm now... drum roll.... full time. Again. Urgh. I want the money but I can't tell you how tired I am just from working 3 days in a row. You forget how hard it is using your brain for that long a time without a break, and 2 day weekends are a killer, but it's a nessessary evil I know. It will all pay off as I'll be able to save up enough money to keep me going whilst I try to carve out some sort of writing career. I've finished the rewrites in my novel so I've just got to implement them on my computer, then re-read the whole thing again and then I think I'm heading for a bit of restructuring and more re-writes, but on a whole I think I'm on the right track. I enjoy it, so that's the main thing I suppose!

I would blog about the Olympics but I'm not really that into them. I like the gymnastics but other than that I don't watch The Sports. Sorry! :P Hope everyone is enjoying them though!

I'll be back with random blogs I'm sure. I need to get back into the swing of putting pictures and what not in here to make it more visually exciting...

Laters!

Sam

Summer Holidays!

I did it - the exam is over! Yes!!! I was going to blog about it last week but my brain has literally taken days to recover from the increased usage. It wasn't as bad as I thought, though, I keep telling people I think I did my best etc. Because I did do my best; I wrote everything I knew. I didn't forget anything I don't think. But I am one of those superstitious people and now I think I've kind of jinxed myself because I've been telling people I think I did OK, so I'll probably now fail and look like an ass.

Bah! Oh well. What can I do about it now, eh? Nothing!

So, now that exam is out of the way my 'summer holidays' have officially started. Kind of. Because I still have to go to work and I have had to ask for full time work again so I can get some money together. Humph. Hoping they take their time deciding if they will let me because then I can bask in this thing called 'spare time' and pursue what I think is called 'leisure activities'. I am starting to learn French today (my self-taught lessons will begin in the next hour or so) and I'm looking forward to getting edits and rewrites done of my novel. I'm also really looking forward to practising playing my guitar because I never have time any more so that's a bonus! Also - reading! Reading is back on the menu! And working out! All of these things I haven't had time for in the past few weeks due to revision!

Speaking of working out - I went on my first outdoor run in ages, and my first actual run or exercise of any type in the past 2 weeks (had to stop due to getting a cold, and thus wheezing a lot, and revising my ass off). What can I say? It was tough. 2 miles and I ran perhaps 1 mile of it on and off. But, in my defence it has turned out to be a hot day and I can't run in heat! I was actually praying for rain today!

In other unrelated news - my sister is getting the keys to her new house on Friday, which means I will be getting my own room. It's taken 25 years, but finally, I will have my own damn room in this house. I love sharing as me and my sister are actually best friends so it's fun (most of the time) but the idea of having a double bed, and a whole room to put my things in makes me so happy. I'm one of those 'loves to decorate' people, so I've been working on some room ideas and putting a collection together on Pinterest - redecorating is something I think I was born to do!

Right, best get on with French.

adieu!

Sam

You know, I just gotta get outta town...

I love saying that. This is my new saying of this week:
"I'm going to Harrogate for a couple of days, just gotta get outta town... unwind..."
Because no one ever says this in the UK, it's such an American thing to say. And I love it! hehe.

So yes, all, I am off to Harrogate for 2 days (1 night for all you night counters) and staying in what looks like a LUSH apartment, but I'm kind of scared it's going to end up a dump. Although research says otherwise, I'm still worried... oh well.

It's the fella's birthday so we're visiting his once home town... out of many home towns. He used to move around a lot, but this place is one of his favourites so who am I to stand in his way? I love Harrogate. Any old spa town really. So for the next 2 days I'm going to be chilling (literally) in the park, walking around the streets, going to the cinema (That amazingly old Odeon they have there... if they're showing anything other than Titanic. Not watching that again), and eating my face off. I feel I need this. I'm stressing about Uni work and real work and writing. Well, not writing. I'm loving the re-writes for my book, but it's always playing on my mind and I just need to breathe for a bit.

In other news... I have no other news. This past week has been filled with nothingness. But that's ok, riiight? I have been trying to figure out how to succeed in my next assignment for uni, which is to find and write for a magazine competition/ publication that is suited to my writing style etc. So I need to find a magazine which has, like, a fiction competition or something. But I am the WORST person when it comes to finding anything. Can't find the salt and pepper in the cubboard, can't find a competition in a magazine. So, yeay... but not really.

If you know of any please link me!

Thanks

Sam
x

Let the edits begin

So, as most of you will probably know, I'm writing a novel. Well, I've written a novel - I started in October (completing just over 50,000 words that month) and finally finished the first draft of my manuscript in January (at just over 71,000 words). This was kind of a big deal for me. I've started countless stories but never finished them because I never really thought I could do it, and I also (even though I kind of fantasised about being one), never thought I could be a writer.

I'm not 'smart', or 'linguistically gifted' - I'm not putting myself down, honestly, I'm just not one of these book learners you so often see writing books. However, when I was writing in October I realised I COULD do it. I could actually finish a book, and then a realised I could actually get it published (still a long way off), because, well - just go into Waterstones. How many books do you see? There. I mean, even if I could only sell 100 copies of a book that would be amazing. Selling 1 would be a step in the right direction.

SO - without further ado, I'd like to announce phase 2 of The Book. Which is: EDITS!

This is probably going to be the hardest part. I've put the book away for a month. I'd like to leave it longer, but I'm getting twitchy and I just want to start looking back into it again (a good sign?). So the 1st of March starts the 2nd draft of the manuscript, which is basically spell checking that bad boy! And checking grammar, kind of. I won't be editing the actual story for another few weeks because spell checking is probably going to take me forever, but the day has finally arrived where I can start working again and I'm excited.

I'm not going to divulged any information about the story or title (which still hasn't been set and probably won't be for a LONG time), if you are super spy like, like me, you'd probably be able to find something on the internet about it... somewhere, but I'm probably going to be taking that down soon. (cryptic!).

Wish me luck and if you have any helpful hints or tips I'd appreciate. I do take writing class at Uni and have a load of information to hand, I also have a couple of writing books but any first hand experience would be fab!

Sam

Madness.

I'm in kind of one of those moods where I don't know what I'm feeling, but it has something to do with wanting to be creative but not being able to. I can't really describe it very well.

I should be writing, as I set myself the challenge to finish the 1st draft of The Novel by the end of January, so I could start to chip away at it in March. February is going to be a month of forgetting about it and focusing on other things, like photography and trying to make cute aprons. Oh, and reading. Let's not forget that I have LOADS of reading to do.

This week I'm supposed to be reading Wuthering Heights.

Heathcliff, it's Cathy, I've come hoooomme, oooooowoooah!

I was going to start it today but I woke up all BLAH, so I'm forgoing the reading, I also didn't hit the gym this morning, despite my previously half heartedly made plans to do so. Well, what? I spent all day walking around Manchester yesterday, that's kind of like exercise, despite the long times spent stood still or else prancing around Waterstones like an idiot. Which is what I do, by the way. I also dance in HMV... well, they shouldn't play music if they don't want me to dance.

No, I should really get back to writing. Because I only have about 6000 more words to write and then I think I'll be home-free... except I don't know how to end the story. Ok, you guys can help me.

Should I end it on a happy note, on a sad note, on an open note? How would you end the book you don't know the story line of?

This could actually be an amusing topic for discussion...

Sam

No more, cakes, no more.

Nah, I'm not stopping baking, but I am stopping the eating of the cakes.

I am, as of tomorrow, back on my slimming world food eating. Back to healthy eating and what not. I slowly introduced healthy food back into my diet, after a 2 week hiatus, last week. I ate mostly healthy things and was then eating bad snacks in the middle. I don't usually snack on bad things so I should be able to snap out of the habit pretty quickly. But yes, next week I am going to put a stop to this post-holiday madness.

I haven't really put on that much weight since the joyous days in December, probably about 5lbs - so if I work on it I could lose that in a week, 2 tops. Then I'm back in business. I started my new work out regime yesterday too and good god, my legs. MY LEGS! I'm kind of looking forward to the 2nd day burn that usually follows a bitch of a workout. I'm already hobbling so we'll see what happens. Eeks.

I'm also restarting my writing project tomorrow. Over 1000 words a day will be achieved just so I can put a lid on the novel, shelf it for a month (which will be Feb) and start to edit in March, most probably. This should give me enough time to look into how you go about sending into to publishers etc. Because that's the part my brain is foggy on. The correct protocol. Though I'm kind of lucky my course will explain all of this, so all I have to do is skip ahead several chapters and find what I'm looking for. This is the year of Sam, and the year Sam (who's me... keep up!) will finally realise her dream of writing.

And to keep you all posted, I'm on book 3 of 2012, so the challenge is going well. Just need to whack my reviews onto the other blog. I'll get that sorted this week, I swear!

Sam